Combination ottoman and chair



Jan. 13, 1953 s. G. REICHMAN 2,625,204

COMBINATION OTTOMAN AND CHAIR Filed May 26, 1950 INVENTOR. Jflmua GI ,PE/c/IMQN BY I Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF I'fiE.

COMBINATION .OTTQMAN AND CH I SamulG; Reichman; Flint; Micln Application :May. 26, 195.0; ti' liNoa 164,510.;

My invention relates, to improvements in a combined 1 ottoman or foot stool and chair.

My; invention relates more particularly to furniture o'f'this tyne capable ofalternate use, 'that'i's, either asafootstoolor ottoman, or when desired 'as'a low chair which has a backrest associated therewith so. that it. may be. used for viewing television or. for similar purposes about thehouse.

The. principal object of the invention is, the provision of a construction, for an ottoman or other article of furniture-in-which thereis a back rest concealed within the: body or base of the ottoman sothat-the ottoman may be used as a foot stool when desired, the said backrest "being secured-within the said base and" soarranged that'apart of the ottoman maybe moved to uncover the interior of the base and the'back restmoved out of the opening to erect position in a movement including;- at lea-sta pivoting; of the-said-back-rest;

Another o'f'the'principal objects of the present invention is to provide a combined ottoman or footstool and chair construction wherein the housing or-base ofthe' footstool is provided with a compartment in which a back-rest or support is contained, the back rest being secured'to the base in such a manner thatit may be moved from its positionwithin the-base to a supported position outside of the base, the seat of the ottoman being available ro'r use under-either circums'tance.

A';further object "of the invention is the provision of 'a: seat 'constructionior the ottoman whichrena-bles" the seat: to be disposed outof the-path of'theback rest as the seat backrest is= being moved" from within the base to the erect position outside of'the sameor-vice versa.

Still a further. object'of the invention isto provide; an article of" furniture of the character described in which the back rest" normally is concealed. within the basev of the ottoman beneath the seat,: and inrwhich the seat is capable ofbeing swung to .a position to uncover the top offthe, ottoman, theback rest being pivotally secured within the basein' such a manner that it "can be pivotedout f the ba'se to' i'ts ere-crease tion; after which the seat can be -m'oved to recoverthe base.

Many other; objects willoccur-=to those skilled in" thez'art; to which this invention pertains it hei-ngipointed?outl thatimanwnovelconstructional features -'.of; my*deviciaWill:'beibrought out in the descriptioniwhichfollows. "In order. to facilitate aixgreaters andz-mor'e complete understanding of the invention,.ian ilthe manne o using thesame, andin. order. tocogmply with the statutes relating topatents, I 'have illustrated herein certain ernbodiments of the invention which are preferred forms, butl desire to emphasize. that a great many variations from the specific details thereof are capable of being made without departing from the scope of or, violating the spirit of the invention. It istherefole desired, to be limited in scope only by the language ofthe claims appended hereto interpreted'in their broadest range of equivalents commensurate with the prior art relating to the subject matter hereof.

In the. drawings, in which like or similar characters of reference; denote the same or similar part throughout the several figures thereof Fig. 1 is a generally front perspective view of one form of construction of my combined ottoman and chair, showing the same when used asan' ottoman or footstool;

Fig. '2 is a generally similar'front perspective View thereof with theback rest in operative position,-jshowing the same when used as a chair;

Fig. 31s a side elev'ational view of the combined ottoman and-chair generally viewing the unit from the left of Fig. '2, with the back rest shown in the 'retracted position in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally-on 'the line 4 -4-of Fig. 3 with the seat bein shown in aswung open position in dotted lines Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectionalview showing the back supporting frameand associated'parts, i and istakenomthe line 5'-5 of Fig; 3,.

lhaveshown-in Fig l'an ottoman or footstool which=mayinolude generally the base It having the uphols'tere'dtop l2 'and'suitable corner legs 'l 4' to's'uppor't the same upon the floor. The top 12 may beef-the usual type providedwith a rigid bottomwall l6 and suitable padding lflcovered by a leather o'r-other flexible covering 2E2.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5' inelusive, the top is connected'by a pair of hinges 22 and to oneof the side walls 26 of'the'base It, it being provided at its opposite Side with a spring-latch member-- til-which snaps 'over a stop 3-2j'connected to the oppositeside wall 34 of the base Ill.

The "base of the unit is preferably rectanguljar. hav n the'side a ls .6 3. pr vi usly mentioned, the front wall36, and the back wall 38. theback wall 3. .b 'ins o ded w th a p ir a: back est desi nat d enerally H. which.

normally concealed within the base Ill may be swung to an erect position so that when the unit is used as a chair a seat and back rest are provided. The back rest may comprise a prop having a pair of tubular frame members 44 and 46 flattened at their lower ends as indicated at 45 and pivotally mounted upon pin members 48 and 50 secured in suitable blocks 52 and 54 respectively mounted adjacent the opposite side walls 26 and 34 within the base.

The free end of the back rest H is formed in the usual manner as such articles are constructed, with a padded member P against which the users back is adapted to engage. The member P may be secured between the tubular frame members 44 and 46 in any suitable and well-known manner at the upper ends thereof as viewed in Fig. 3.

The flattened ends 45 of the tubular frame members 44 and 46 are identically offset from the main body of their respective member giving rise to the connecting angular bends 56. With the seat top I2 pivoted to a position illustrated in Fig. 4 in dotted lines, in which it uncovers the interior of the base In, the back rest frame is free to be pivoted counterclockwise out of the base from the dotted line position of Fig. 3 to its solid line position illustrated in said Fig. 3. This latter position is that in which the same properly can be utilized as a back rest. The movement accomplishing this maneuver brings the angular bends 56 into the notches 49 and 42 respectively which obviously are suitably aligned to receive the said bends. In the position thus far described the back rest H is supported by the wall 38 and the pivots 48 and 50, and thereby is prevented from continuing its counter-clockwise movement. In other words, the wall 38 serves as a stop and support for the back rest. If now the seat top I2 is returned to its normal horizontally disposed position covering the base l0, its rear end, i. e., the left hand end as viewed in Fig. 3, looks the back rest frame in erect position. The lower surface It engages the upper edge of the wall 38 of the base, closing oif the upper open ends of the notches 40 and 42 and forming therewith the passageways through which the tubular frame members 44 and 46 extend out of the base in erect, supporting position.

From the above and foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided an article of furniture which consists of a combined footstool or ottoman and chair and in which the said article readily and quickly can be converted from the one to the other by the user. The said article is characterized by the provision of a back .rest which is totally concealed in the base when the article is being used as an ottoman, but which is secured to and supported by the base and is capable of being quickly moved from its place of concealment to an erect and operative position.

The invention is further characterized in one form by a seat top which is capable of being moved off the top of the base of the article of furniture, to permit the back rest to be pivoted out of the base through the top thereof, after which the seat top is returned to normal position. Replacing the back rest within the seat is a simple reverse procedure.

It is believed that the invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and its advantages readily should be understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should be manifest to those skilled in the art that I have 4 made a substantial and highly beneficial advance in the arts and sciences, the exact nature of which is set forth in the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a base having a top hingedly connected thereto at one side of the same, a back rest, pivot means within the base connecting the back rest to the base for movement of the back rest from a position totally within the base to a position extending erect from the base and clear of the top when the latter is in closed position upon the base, said back rest and base having formations arranged to cooperate to prevent movement of the back rest beyond said second mentioned position, and said top arranged to overlie said formations when in closed position to conceal the same.

2. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a hollow base having a seat top hingedly connected thereto at one side thereof and completely covering the base, a back rest, pivot means within the base and connecting the back rest on the interior of the base for swinging movement from a position concealed within the base upwardly to a vertical position, said back rest comprising a pair of arms having a back-supporting member attached to the ends of the arms, the said base having a back wall, and the said arms having shoulders adapted to engage on the top of the back wall when the back rest is in said vertical position to support the said back rest, and said seat top completely covering said base when said back rest is in concealed or vertical positions.

3. A unit of the type described comprising a box-like base having side walls, a cover member hingedly connected adjacent the top to one of the side walls of said base, a back rest including a frame having parallel arms pivotally connected on the interior of said base for swinging movement to raised position after said top has been swung open, said back rest being locked in position for use when said top is returned to normal position, parallel slots in said back wall for receiving said arms when said back rest is in raised position to permit the cover member to be returned to said normal closed position.

4. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a hollow base having at least a rigid end, a seat horizontally mounted thereon and completely covering same, a back rest generally horizontally arranged within the base and normally concealed therein, hinged means connecting the back rest on the interior of the base for swinging movement thereof from said horizontal arrangement projecting out of the base in at least a pivotal movement thereof to carry the said back rest to proper erect position for use by the occupant of the seat, means mounting the seat for movement to uncover the base to permit said swinging movement of the back rest, the bottom of the back rest engaging the upper edge of said rigid end for support thereof but only when in said erect position and having means formed thereon adapted to engage on said rigid end, said seat and rigid end having cooperating means to enable the seat to be returned to horizontal position upon the base.

5. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a box-like base member having side walls and a back wall, a cover member hingedly connected to one of the side walls of said base adjacent the top thereof, a back rest including a frame having elongate parallel arms, pivot means within the base member connecting said arms at their lower ends to the base member on the interior thereof for pivotal upward movement of the back rest from a position totally within said base member to a vertical position on said back wall, the said arms having means integrally formed therewith adapted to engage the upper edge of said back wall when the back rest is in said vertical position to support the back rest on the back wall.

6. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a box-like base member having side walls and a back wall, a cover member hingedly connected to one of the side walls of said base adjacent the top thereof, a back rest including a frame having elongate parallel arms, pivot means Within the base member connecting said arms at their lower ends to the base member on the interior thereof for pivotal upward movement of the back rest from a position totally within said base member to a vertical position astride said back wall and said arms having shoulder means integrally formed therewith adapted to engage the upper edge of said back wall when the back rest is in said vertical position to support the back rest on the back wall comprising a bend in each arm in proximity to its said lower end.

7. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a box-like base member having side walls and a back wall, a cover member hingedly connected to one of the side walls of said base adjacent the top thereof, a back rest including a frame having elongate parallel arms, pivot means within the base member connecting said arms at their lower ends to the base member on the interior thereof for pivotal upward movement of the back rest from a generally horizontal position totally within said base member to a vertical position astride said back wall, the said arms having means integrally formed therewith adapted to engage the upper edge of said back wall when the back rest is in said vertical position to support the back rest on the back wall comprising a bend in each arm in proximity to its said lower end thereby providing a shoulder portion adapted to engage said upper edge, said upper edge having a pair of recesses adapted to receive the respective bends of the arms, said cover member adapted to be returned to normal position when the said back rest is in vertical position with a free edge of the cover member engaged over said bends.

8. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a box-like base member having side walls and a back wall, a cover member hingedly connected to one of the side Walls of said base adjacent the top thereof, a back rest including a frame having elongate parallel arms, pivot means within the base member connecting said arms at their lower ends to the base member on the interior thereof for pivotal upward movement of the back rest from a generally horizontal position totally within said base member to a vertical position astride said back wall, the said arms having means integrally formed therewith adapted to engage the upper edge of said back wall when the back rest is in said vertical position to support the back rest on the back wall, comprising a right angle bend in each arm, a pair of notches in the upper edge of the back wall to receive the bends, said cover member locking the bends in the notches when said cover member is returned to its normal position.

9. A combined ottoman and chair comprising a box-like base having side walls, a cover member adapted to seat a person hingedly secured to the base and completely covering the same and adapted to be pivoted off the base to expose the interior thereof, a normally concealed back rest member comprising a back rest pad and an elongate frame, the back rest pad being secured on one end of the frame, pivot means on the interior of the base connecting the opposite end of the frame to the base for swinging movement of the entire back rest member between an erect position with all but the opposite end outside of the base and a generally horizontal position with the entire back rest memberwithin the base, the frame having an angular bend therein forming shoulder means adapted to engage an upper edge of the base when said back rest member is in erect position, and said bend substantially offsetting the back rest pad from the pivotally connected end of the frame to permit the cover member to be returned to complete coverage of the base when the back rest member is in its erect position.

10. A combined ottoman and chair which comprises, a hollow base having generally vertically arranged side walls and a seat hingedly secured to the same and completely covering the base while resting upon the upper edges thereof, a back rest normally concealed within the base and adapted to swing between a horizontal position inside of the base to a vertical position substantially outside of the base to be used by an cecupant of the seat when the seat has been swung open to uncover said base, the seat being adapted to be returned to covering position with the back rest in vertical position, said back rest comprising an elongate member having an offsetting angular formation between the ends thereof, one end having a back supportin portion, pivotal means connecting the opposite end of the elongate member on the interior of the base adjacent a side wall spaced below the said upper edges of said base with the formation arranged such that the elongate member when in vertical position extends from said pivotal means upward and parallel with a side wall, thence at an angle horizontally and outwardly of the base and said last mentioned side wall and beyond the extent of said seat when in covering position, and thence upwardly to said one end.

SAMUEL G. REICHMAN REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 245,833 Imse Aug. 16, 1881 380,170 Blydenburgh Mar. 27, 1888 1,888,325 McCarroll Nov. 22, 1932 2,244,474 Rainville June '3, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26,515 Great Britain Nov. 16, 1909 703,606 France Feb. 9, 1931 

